Judge to decide trial of woman charged in son's death

PULASKI, Va. – The trial of the mother of a Virginia boy found dead in a septic tank will be decided by a judge, rather than a jury.

News outlets report that after struggling for two days to seat a jury for Ashley White's trial, lawyers agreed Tuesday night to proceed with the case later this week, but without a jury present.

The change came after Pulaski County Circuit Judge Bradley Finch found that the jury pool had been too tainted by media coverage since 5-year-old Noah Thomas' body was found in a septic tank near his Dublin home in March 2015.

White and 32-year-old Paul Thomas are accused of leaving the boy and their infant daughter, Abigail, home alone. Both parents are facing two felony counts of abuse and neglect.